On this Friday March 26, 2021, Johann zarco answered questions from journalists from the Losail circuit at the end of the first day of testing for the Qatar Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French pilot.
As usual, we report here the words of Johann zarco without the slightest formatting.
Johann zarco : " I think tonight was the right time to set a very good time. Normally, it won't be possible to go very fast in FP3 because of the heat, and that's why there was a bit of pressure this Friday: We had to try to be fast as quickly as possible. With the testing we did, we were ready, but just in the first practice session, FP1, I immediately crashed on the second clear lap. It was frustrating because you try to be focused and do a good job, and you just crash because of the conditions and the medium tire which, with the heat and maybe some other compound than Michelin on the track, was completely…
OK, I know why I fell but you lose confidence. So I had to stay very calm in the afternoon so as not to lose confidence knowing that everything would work out after the long interruption. With better temperatures and soft tires, the bike started working really well and I was able to do what I did. »
Do you think you can qualify for the front row?
« I think that to qualify on the front row, I still need to find almost 5 tenths for tomorrow evening. It's possible because I have surprises on the bike: When I'm able to ride well, the time comes very well. This 53.5, I felt that I was going fast but maybe not as fast, so if I have fun tomorrow evening, I have a chance to fight for the first row. »
Can you explain your fall to us?
« I don't think we've ever driven in such temperatures and the medium tire doesn't work very well. I also think it had been two weeks since we last flew, but we immediately tried to take the same trajectories and references as during the test. Too fast too quickly, these are the reasons for the fall. »
Do you think you will be able to improve your time by doing more laps or by doing something else?
« It's something else because more tricks, if you don't do them perfectly, you can get used not to bad sensations, but to not perfect sensations. But when you can get a perfect feeling, for maybe five or six laps in a row, the smile comes and nothing can stop you. So that’s the goal for tomorrow. »
Do you think the Ducati is the bike to beat for this race?
« This is one of the bikes to beat. It's hard to say if it's already the best bike but I think, regardless, this bike has the potential to be world champion. We're working to make this bike awesome and everyone wants this bike, so I think it's possible. »
Rookies Bastianini and Marini said that your riding on the Ducati is very strange and very difficult to reproduce. Driving a bit like the Yamaha. Do you agree, and if so, can you use other drivers' data effectively?
« I use data from other drivers a lot. I haven't heard the rookies say that but in my opinion, I'm between Pecco (Bagnaia) and Jack (Miller). Pecco and Jack don't have the same style, and I sometimes can do something like Pecco and sometimes something like Jack: I'm still finding my direction. So I can't say that it's a Yamaha direction because today the Yamaha story is far behind. I'm trying to do well and I think for me the idea is that there's a lot of potential but I'm not yet able to manage everything well. But when I can do it, I think I'll enjoy it a lot. »
Many drivers had their arms paralyzed today. Was this your case?
« I also had a bit of this during the afternoon because the track was slippery and the bike was moving. So when you try to go fast, you can't be relaxed and the arms immediately suffer. But it was better in the evening. There is also the fact that with these two weeks without riding, you have in mind to restart quickly but the body is not entirely ready. »
What approach do you have to a circuit with a new bike? Do you work turn by turn?
« You can't work turn by turn. If you work like this, you must feel extremely comfortable and have a big advantage over others. The general feeling on any track is that you can quickly figure out where you're good and where you're not, and a lot of times you want to be better where you're already good. But the team has to calm you down and tell you not to try any further. But it is difficult.
The way of working is more like this: We try to see our weak points and work on them. But working turn by turn is rather complicated, because the tires wear out and the track conditions are not always the same, so you don't have a consistent technical side. The technical side is always more or less good, so you also have to adapt. »
Moving at almost 100 meters per second, do we get used to it or is it always difficult to take our bearings?
« It's hard to really want to delay braking, for example, because at 100 m/s, if you simply want to delay your braking by 3 m, I don't have the calculation in mind but that doesn't add up to a lot of time! And there, it's mostly the wind. When you arrive so quickly, and he's pushing you, it's difficult to slow down the bike. It's more the wind direction that can be annoying at these speeds. »
Did this day reassure you even more?
« We will say that I left worried but the experience meant that I had to remain calm, because when things go well in the tests there is no reason why it should not go well in the evening. The analysis was that we had never ridden in such hot conditions: Miller fell in the same place a few laps later. Well, here it is: the bad sensations... We said to ourselves "we've warmed up, you've regained sensations at 350 miles an hour, your brain is getting back into place, wait until tonight! ". Reassured to see that, yes, there is an ability to go quickly, afterward it's so intense that I was left worrying about doing well. You have to be in good shape to keep going all the time! »
Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix FP2 standings at Losail:
FP1/FP2 classification of the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix at Losail:
Credit rankings: MotoGP.com
